Concurrent Sessions Round F

Concurrent Sessions Round F – Wednesday, March 17, 2010
9:00 am – 10:30 am

Greening Challenges and Opportunities for Community Foundations and Grantors of Government Funds
(Emerging Issues/Special Topics)
Are you looking to implement paperless grantmaking in order to streamline your processes, saving time and money? Looking for ways your organization can reduce its carbon footprint? GMN’s Kermit Squad has taken on these green challenges and more, piloting a variety of practices in a diverse range of organizations. In this session geared toward community foundations and grantors of government funds, we will demonstrate the flexibility and feasibility of greening for the environment and your bottom line, as well as have an honest conversation about obstacles and barriers. Whether you’ve tried to implement more sustainable and efficient practices in your department or have just started pursuing the idea, this session will be an opportunity to learn successful methods of implementation and how to navigate and overcome barriers. Come for a conversation with those who have initiated greening strategies. We will help you capture the low-hanging fruit or equip you with the information needed to help your organization become a leader in greening!
Presenters: Sarah Heaton, Grants Manager, Johnson Family Foundation; Patrick Taylor, Grants Assistant, The Energy Foundation

Legal 201: Grantmaking to Non-Charities and Individuals
(GM: Basics and Beyond)
Can you make a grant to a non-charity? How can you make a grant to an international organization? Can you make grants to individuals? This session will answer these and other questions from the perspective of private foundation and public charity grantmakers. Special emphasis will be placed on understanding expenditure responsibility rules and compliance.
Presenter: Kelly Shipp Simone, Senior Staff Attorney, Council on Foundations

Online Systems: The Gold Standard
(Technology)
Are you planning to bring your foundation’s application and reporting processes to the Web? Are you concerned about what features you will need and what the impact will be on your staff and your grantees? Learn about a recent report from Project Streamline that presents standards for online application practices and software, setting baseline essential requirements, as well as gold standards to better serve both foundations and grantees.
Presenter: Jonathan Goldberg, Director of Systems and Communications, Surdna Foundation

Sharing Strategies on Change: A Small Group Workshop
(GM: Basics and Beyond)
This session will begin with a short look at managing change as it relates to grants management processes. Attendees will then break out into small groups comprised of folks at like-organizations to share best practices and troubleshoot tricky change management issues. Attendees will learn strategies to facilitate successful innovations to grants management practices. They will also leave with a peer network for continued support as they return to their organizations.
Participation is limited to 40 people.
Presenters:  Laurel Anderson, Youth & Schools Manager, Orfalea Foundations; Andrea Blane, Controller, John Templeton Foundation; Meridian Napoli, Director, Grants Operations, Comcast Corporation & Comcast Foundation

The GM Guide: Your Solution
(GM: Basics and Beyond)
Charged with creating a new grants management system? Struggling with compliance issues? Curious about how your practices compare to best practices? The GM Guide is your solution! The GM Guide is the collective knowledge of the Grants Managers Network and the only source of comprehensive grants management information. This session will provide an overview of the information available in the GM Guide, including grants management processes (from in-take to closing the grant), common practices and industry standards, and tips on how to improve efficiency and effectiveness of grants management at your organization. Both new and experienced grants managers will benefit from this session.
Presenters: Bonnie Rivers, Grants Specialist, The Rockefeller Foundation; Byron Stuck, Director of Grants Management and Inquiry, Legal, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

GuideStar – Tools for Greater Insight: Using Technology to Fuel Growth, Mitigate Risk, and Encourage Transparency
(Exhibitor Session)
Join GuideStar's Director of Business Development, Bunkie Righter, for a live web demo of how GuideStar can help streamline your grantmaking process. GuideStar USA lets charities tell their full story to the public through timely, accurate, and in-depth information from its website at www.guidestar.org. GuideStar USA connects users with information on more than 1.5 million exempt organizations. GuideStar's Charity Check delivers instant and easy verification of current 501(c)(3) status through a direct link to IRS Publication 78 and the Internal Revenue Bulletin. Analyst Reports provide a complete picture of a charity's performance over time compared to relevant peer groups. Grant Explorer lets you analyze how potential and current grant recipients are funded and benchmark your giving against peer foundations.
Presenter: Bunkie Righter, Director of Business Development, GuideStar USA